MM012 Soil Characterisation Site data sheet DEWNR Soil and Land Program
SANDY LOAM OVER RED CLAY
General Description: Thin to medium thickness sandy loam over a coarsely structured red clay, calcareous with depth
Landform: Flats on gently undulating plains.
Substrate: Tertiary age medium textured sediments mantled by fine carbonate.
Vegetation: Mallee
Type Site: Site No.: MM012 1:50,000 mapsheet: 6827-1 (Karoonda)
Hundred: Hooper Easting: 390200
Section: 50 Northing: 6108400
Sampling date: 03/10/1991 Annual rainfall: 365 mm average Flat on a gently undulating plain. Firm surface, no stone.
Soil Description:
Depth (cm) Description
0-10 Dark brown heavy sandy loam with weak granular structure. Abrupt to:
10-13 Brown heavy sandy loam with weak platy structure. Abrupt to:
13-28 Red hard sandy medium clay with coarse blocky structure. Clear to:
28-64 Yellowish red very highly calcareous medium clay with moderate blocky structure. Diffuse to:
64-91 Yellowish red highly calcareous massive sandy medium clay with 2-10% ironstone nodules.
Diffuse to:
91-115 Yellowish red light clay with 2-10% fine calcareous segregations. Diffuse to:
115-175 Yellowish red massive sandy clay loam with minor fine calcareous segregations.
Classification: Sodic, Calcic, Red Chromosol; medium, non gravelly, loamy / clayey, deep
MM012 Soil Characterisation Site data sheet DEWNR Soil and Land Program
Summary of Properties
Drainage: Well drained. Soil is rarely saturated for more than a few days.
Fertility: Inherent fertility is moderate, as indicated by the exchangeable cation data.
Phosphorus and zinc are deficient at the sampling site. Organic carbon levels are satisfactory.
pH: Neutral at the surface, strongly alkaline with depth.
Rooting depth: 64 cm in pit.
Barriers to root growth:
Physical: The subsoil is slightly restrictive, and the massive sandy clay substrate (from 64 cm) is highly resistant to root penetration.
Chemical: High pH and sodicity with moderate salinity inhibit root growth.
Waterholding capacity: 100 mm in the rootzone.
Seedling emergence: Satisfactory.
Workability: Soft / firm surface is easily worked.
Erosion Potential:
Water: Low.
Wind: Low.
Laboratory Data
Trace Elements mg/kg (DTPA)
Exchangeable Cations cmol(+)/kg Depth
cm pH H2O
pH CaC12
CO3
% EC1:5
dS/m ECe dS/m
Org.C
% Avail.
P mg/kg
Avail.
K mg/kg
Boron mg/kg
Cu Fe Mn Zn CEC cmol (+)/kg
Ca Mg Na K ESP
Paddock 7.4 6.9 0.3 0.23 1.32 1.3 11 380 1.8 0.21 12 9.1 0.25 10.5 8.64 1.30 0.15 0.91 1.4
0-10 6.8 6.4 <0.1 0.09 0.38 1.4 16 420 1.4 0.26 18 18 0.31 8.9 7.95 1.61 0.12 0.89 1.3 10-13 - - - 13-28 8.0 7.2 0.3 0.18 0.47 0.45 3.9 230 1.7 0.24 13 5.6 0.06 16.6 10.14 5.08 0.66 0.60 4.0 28-45 9.2 7.7 12 0.23 0.86 0.32 3.1 160 2.6 0.71 13 1.3 0.07 16.9 8.58 6.72 1.90 0.40 11.2 45-64 9.5 7.9 16 0.42 2.02 0.25 2.0 130 6.4 0.37 8.5 0.74 0.06 13.7 4.46 6.46 3.68 0.35 26.9 64-91 9.4 8.0 8.0 0.86 6.75 0.18 2.8 180 12 0.36 8.0 0.47 0.04 12.3 3.12 6.05 4.51 0.44 36.7
91-115 - - -
115-175 9.4 7.8 1.2 0.67 5.28 0.07 1.1 190 7.6 1.2 4.7 0.20 0.06 11.1 1.60 5.21 4.57 0.46 41.1
Note: Paddock sample bulked from cores (0-10 cm) taken around the pit.
CEC (cation exchange capacity) is a measure of the soil's capacity to store and release major nutrient elements.
ESP (exchangeable sodium percentage) is derived by dividing the exchangeable sodium value by the CEC.
Further information: DEWNR Soil and Land Program
